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216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

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Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#861

Post by digi59404 »

idiotsecant wrote: post #818
digi59404 wrote: post #808

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a Samsung fridge. It’s not a smart fridge, it doesn’t have a screen, bluetooth, or any way to connect to it. I logged into my UniFi stack to monitor devices and it showed up. It had gotten the connection details from my wife’s phone, the other Samsung device and was transmitting data back to Google and Samsung.

What model of fridge?! How did you know the random device on your network was your non-smart fridge? This is a wild story. I want to believe but if it's true I think there's no sane solution other than exploratory surgery on every appliance you buy.

I don’t recall the model. I had bought a new Samsung Monitor, my wife left the fridge door open and it had started alerting on my monitor while I was in game.

So I went digging in UniFi, found it, and blocked it. Same with my HP Printer that sent almost a gig of data to Google Print Services daily.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#862

Post by [deleted] »

solid_fuel wrote: post #759
ed_mercer wrote: post #740

Why would you ever connect a TV to the internet in the first place?

How do you know that not connecting it is sufficient to stop the spying? There are a few large IoT-focused networks like Amazon Sidewalk where conceivably the smart TV could connect to them if you don't connect it to your home wifi. I believe many ISPs like Xfinity also runs shared public wifi from their routers - a tv could connect via your neighbor's ISP-provided router and you wouldn't have any idea.

[deleted]

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#863

Post by 3RTB297 »

cameldrv wrote: post #860
stronglikedan wrote: post #827

Earlier quoted context omitted.

they already have audio video surveillance signs posted everywhere from the moment you walk in so that would go over like a lead balloon

They have video surveillance signs. Audio is a different category in a lot of states. In California, it's illegal to record audio without consent of all of the parties, and I believe you can get a civil remedy of $5000 for this.

I would be willing to bet the TV's demo mode used by most box box retailers disables that by default, specifically to avoid such an issue.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#864

Post by woodgala »

I hate this. I hate having to be scared of every damn piece of technology spying on me. Of everything becoming a subscription. Of everything being sold to the highest bidder to be enshittified and gutted leaving a wake of low quality trash. This isn’t the future I worked for. This is a flea market for the Epstein class.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#865

Post by 3RTB297 »

korzinka wrote: post #107

I've bought an LG Smart TV 5 years ago, read t&c where I was supposed to grant them any data they wanted, decided to disagree and kept all network functions disabled. I was ridiculed by my friends for that. At some point, I thought - maybe I'm really crazy to do so? Who am I, a caveman, a luddite? Oh well, I'm not. Not a bad tv though, many HDMI ports!

I usually go for Samsung TVs, but same, I never give it network access. I use a Fire Stick that gets its power from the TV's USB port. Best as I can tell, turning off the TV turns off power to the Fire Stick.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#866

Post by Hamuko »

deadbunny wrote: post #330
sgerenser wrote: post #242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hear this a lot “TVs will just connect to a nearby unprotected WiFi network!” But I ve never seen any evidence of it. It appears to just be speculation, unless you have an actual source?

Its always speculation that would be trivial to actually test. 1. Do not connect to network 2. Create unauthenticated WiFi network 3. Monitor WiFi network Strange no one has ever done this simple af test to backup their claims

I have an unprotected guest network with a captive portal and an LG C1. I have never seen the LG pop up in the logs for the guest network.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#867

Post by nullbio »

mitxela wrote: post #664
empyrrhicist wrote: post #607

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can that kind of clause really be enforceable? It really doesn't seem legal in any jurisdiction I'm aware of. (not a lawyer)

LG probably can't sue you for failing to get consent from a guest, but the guest can sue you, not LG, for being recorded.

> Have a meeting with the executives of LG in their office

> Sue them for not telling you the TV is recording you

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#868

Post by nullbio »

lokar wrote: post #785
mitxela wrote: post #762

Disconnecting it from the internet isn't enough, because it will store spying data forever until it gets a connection, and it will connect to any open WiFi. You have to disconnect it from the power, and then use a sledgehammer on the remains.

Block it on your router.

Yeah, that's the only way to deal with this nonsense. Basically, block all devices that connect to your router from having outbound access and whitelist the ones you want to let through, with narrow firewall settings.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#869

Post by nullbio »

oceansky wrote: post #3

The title undersells it. The TV has multiple mics that can't be disabled, they constantly record everything and upload transcripts in plain text. It gathers data and metadata of all devices on the network, including IP addresses. And even analyzes network data to understand which applications are being run.

Imagine the amount of power they have now with AI, by recording the conversations of half the planet. Imagine the amount of money they would be able to make in the stock market with this data, by following the trends of these conversations. I'm sure the hedge funds have already been doing this for 20 years.

That's really just the tip of the iceberg though. They'll be able to build very sophisticated models of every person, digitally fingerprinted to their voice and location and devices that follows them forever.

I want my data deleted from their servers. This is seriously messed up and heads need to roll.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#870

Post by godelski »

phkahler wrote: post #831
Animats wrote: post #572

Here are LG's contract terms for appliances.[1] They are awful. Not only can they listen in. You have a contractual requirement to tell everyone in range of an appliance that they may be eavesdropped upon. CONSENT REQUIREMENT: You acknowledge and agree that it is your sole responsibility to obtain all necessary consents from any third parties whose voices may be captured by the Product and to notify household members…

IANAL but without concent I think LG is comitting a crime here. The owner who ostensibly agreed to obtain concent through the ToS might be breaking their agreement, but wouldn't that be a separate issue? ToS and other click licenses have been making shit up for way too long.

IANAL, but I believe the argument is that agreeing to the TOS constitutes consent. Even though no reasonable person would believe such a thing would be in the TOS and no reasonable person reads the full TOS (no person actually could...).

Perhaps we start suing one another for not disclosing the wire tapping, forcing the lawsuit upwards towards LG. It'd be more efficient to sue LG, but lawyers don't seem to be done those things. At least not that I'm aware of

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